Cosmic Girl (CANCELLED)
by MarinaMango
Summary: My first fanfic on here!- This fic will be the developing relationship of Gamora and Quill post-Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 pre-Infinity War. So ya'll are spoiler-free! Im keeping the rating T for cursing and violence. Will probably be in Gamora's perspective most of the time but I'll prob switch it up. Inspired by "Stuck on You" and "Learning to be Lovers" both by MasterMagician
1. Chapter 1-Beginnings

**A/N: Hey ya'll! Thanks for checking in on my first fic! This is just the first chapter, so we're not gonna dive too deep into the starmora fluff and angst just yet. Title of this fic is based on the song Cosmic Girl by Jamiroquai. Yes I know that it's not a 70s song but peter's Zune is bound to have some 90s music so hush up**

It all started on one particularly cloudy and cold day. The guardians were stopped on a planet (which Gamora had forgotten the name of) to complete a mission that involved retrieving some sort of amulet that this planet considered sacred. They were to find the amulet, bring it back to the royal court, collect the reward, and move on.

Gamora stood impatiently at the exit of the quadrant, waiting for her fellow guardians to finally be ready to go. Mantis came first, her hands folded behind her back as she walked over towards the exit, standing behind Gamora without a word. The rest of the guardians soon followed suit, all except Peter.

"Quill!" She shouted, folding her arms. She could hear a frantic reply from the Terran, but he was too far away for Gamora to pick up what he was saying.

Within a few moments, Quill emerged from his room, wearing a plain gray shirt and his red ravager coat. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and walked over to the group, flashing them a smile. Gamora's face was blank. She was beginning to lose her patience.

"Peter we were supposed to leave twenty minutes ago. The court will be expecting us before we go out on the mission and I do not want to look foolish when we show up late" She scolded, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't worry about a thing 'Mora." He said, flashing her a grin. "We'll be _fashionably _late." Gamora rolled her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Will you two just kiss and make up already? We gotta get movin'" Rocket interrupted. Quill glanced at Gamora to see her reaction to Rocket's comment but was instead met with her cold glare.

"Alright, alright. Let's go." Quill opened the exit doors, stepping out into the cold and rocky landscape of the planet. The sky was a light periwinkle and was swirling with clouds. Silver sparkling vegetation dotted the landscape and added shimmer to the dark gravel that pelted the jagged land. The group trudged forward, Rocket using a navigator device to get them to the court building.

Gamora crossed her arms, feeling the chilly wind brush against her side. This planet was particularly cold, and the other guardians seemed to feel the same. Mantis was shivering and Groot had snuggled himself onto Rocket's shoulder for warmth.

"Quill, how long will we be staying on this planet?" Drax spoke from the back of the group. "It is very cold and dry."

"Psh. Look who's talking." Rocket let out a laugh, and Drax looked at him, confused. Before Drax could blurt out something like 'Who is talking? I do not see them.', Quill interrupted.

"Not more than a couple hours, hopefully. We'll go meet up with these court guys, go find the amulet, get our bounty, and take off."

"We should also refuel. We did not stop yesterday and you said that we would restock _today._" Gamora insisted, looking at Quill.

He sighed. "God damn it, that'll take _forever_. Why can't we get fuel tomorrow? I don't wanna stay on this refrigerator of a planet any longer than we have to."

"We are going to run out of fuel in the middle of space if we don't. We're refueling _here_" Gamora said, looking at Quill with slight annoyance. Sure, Peter was charming. But he really got on her nerves sometimes.

Peter let out a sigh of defeat and mumbled a reluctant "Fine." under his breath. His brief disappointment was interrupted as they approached the village. The royal court towered above the other buildings, a sparkling white against the dull blue-purple of the sky. The buildings and homes around the court were not nearly as bright and radiant as the court itself but were still a bright marble white. Some were dusted with bright blue jewels and carvings. The majesty of the town took Gamora's breath away.

"These guys better not be as big dirtbags of those golden morons on the Sovereign. We don't need another entire alien race on our scrawny tails." Quill said, looking up at the towering buildings.

They approached the large doors of the court building, still in quiet awe from the beauty of the village. They entered the building and were greeted by a female with gray skin and jagged scales that lined her cheekbones. Two large horns the same white as the building sat on the top of her head. She looked slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of the group but nevertheless smiled at the guests.

"You all must be the Guardians of the Galaxy. We thank you for your assistance. Right this way." She said in a small, yet cheerful voice. The woman led the group down a hallway and through an archway, through an archway, and into the center room. "May I present to you, Lord Aeker and Lady Ucet, and their royal court."

The woman backed away to reveal a male and female of the same species. Lady Ucet had long, periwinkle hair the color of the sky. She wore a flowing loose-fitting cornflower blue gown that extended past her feet. A string of blue crystals hung from her curving horns, and her scales sparkled like stars. Lord Aeker wore a similar outfit, but instead of jewels, a string of silver material hung from his horns. The two sat on thrones, overlooking the benches filled with people that lined the sides of the walls.

Lady Ucet smiled, folding her hands in her lap. "Welcome to Vizonia!" she shouted, her strong, firm voice echoing across the walls of the court. "I apologize for calling you all here before the mission, but I must warn you, for the journey ahead will be difficult. But I hold trust in you to retrieve the amulet." Lord Aeker nodded approvingly.

"No need to apologize," Quill chirped, giving off a radiant smile. Gamora glared at Peter, stepping foreward slightly. _Get to the point, Peter. _She thought.

"What exactly will we be facing?" She questioned, crossing her arms.

"The orroks. A dangerous pack of mutant creatures. They are quite small but very vicious. Your main concern should be the Zira, an alpha creature that leads the orroks. The Zira is ten times larger than an average orrok and has horribly poisonous venom." She paused, straightening her posture. "The orroks are very territorial and will attack if they feel threatened. You must enter their base to where our scavengers report the amulet is hidden."

Quill nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Gamora could hear Drax whisper something to mantis, who was standing next to him, her eyes slightly wide in fear of the dangers that awaited them. "_I will vanquish the Zira with my bare hands with ease. This mission will not be a problem._"He whispered, face tightened in determination.

Lady Ucet seemed to have heard Drax's murmur, for she responded in a cold tone. "This task will not be as easy as you anticipate. The orroks should not be fooled with." She stood, folding her hands behind her back. "Thank you, Guardians of the Galaxy."

Lord Aeker leaned towards Ucet, whispering something to her. She nodded once, before breaking the silence again. "And good luck. You will need it."

**A/N: So that was the first chapter! Let me know what you think of it! We're gonna get into some more starmora stuff in the next chapter. This first one was just to set the stage for the chap. 2. Anyways, hope to see ya'll later!**


	2. Chapter 2-Attacked

**A/N: Back again w/ chapter two! We'll start to see more starmora from here on out. Anywhoo, Enjoy!**

Gamora never would have thought she could care so deeply about a person as idiotic and pathetic as Peter Quill, but yet here she was. Time and time again they risked their lives for each other. Gamora just didn't understand why. She used to be independent, not paying much attention to others. But ever since Peter came into her life, she couldn't help but check in on where he was and how he was doing. It was strange. Little did Gamora know, her relationship with the Terran would be tested yet again very soon.

The guardians had been walking through the dense woods of silver sparkling trees that lay just beyond the village. It seemed to be getting colder and colder by the second, and Gamora felt herself inching closer to Peter's warmth as they walked towards the amulet's signal.

It was then that she noticed Mantis's sudden hush. She hadn't spoken much since they arrived on the planet. Usually, by now Mantis would have said something about the strange silver vegetation or the gray swirling clouds above them, but she was dead silent now.

"Mantis, you've been awfully quiet since we arrived. Is something wrong?"

Mantis looked up from the ground, which she had been staring at for quite some time now. "Oh, uh," She looked slightly alarmed. "Something about this planet. The village and court." she paused. "It doesn't feel right. As if they are hiding a secret." Her eyes widened slightly at the word 'secret'.

"Well don't say anything about it now." Rocket cut in. "They won't give us crap if you jabber to them about weird-ass vibes you're picking up."

Gamora ignored Rocket's interruption, pushing Mantis further. "What do you mean? What could they be hiding?"

Before Mantis could reply, a faint shrill called from nearby.

"Gamora watch out!" Quill hissed, ducking in front of her to shoot at a short, feathery creature with deep blue feathers and what seemed like the exact same horns that the Vizonian village people had. The creature, who had outstretched its sharp talons and was beginning to trudge towards Gamora, stopped suddenly and fell to the ground as Peter shot at it.

Gamora was caught off guard by the sudden attack, taking a step back and retrieving her Godslayer, which was strapped to her back.

"We must be entering the orrin's territory," Drax said, raising his knives in preparation,

"I am Groot!" The tiny flora colossus, who had moved from Rocket's shoulder to walk on the ground corrected.

"_Orroks_." Rocket translated, preparing his most trusted weapon for battle.

The orroks began storming in all at once, flying in towards the guardians, claws sharp and unsheathed, ready to tear flesh. They all hissed and shrilled, attacking at once. Gamora slashed as many as she could with her sword, ducking out of the way to avoid getting clawed at. Peter fired at the creatures, squinting as more flocks came in from the shadows of the forest. Drax attacked with his knives and Rocket with his large machine gun, both yelling as they attacked the swarms.

"Mantis!" Gamora shouted through the chaos, watching the bug-like woman who was struggling to make each individual orrok fall asleep. She had already received a few cuts. "Take Groot and find somewhere safe! We will meet you there!" Mantis nodded, picking up Groot who was busy trying to strangle a single orrok with vines outstretched.

After what seemed like hours of fighting, the orrok swarms seemed to have backed off, likely retreating to find backup. Gamora found Manis and Groot safe in a nearby cave, where there were little to no orroks.

"We need to move fast. God knows when those blue crows will be back" Quill ordered as he began to move. The rest of the group followed, and the signal of the amulet became stronger. The guardians moved towards a golden archway placed in between two trees. Two orroks came flying down towards the group, but Gamora fought them off easily.

"The amulet should be just past this arch." Rocket stated, fumbling with the tracker.

As they approached the signal, an excruciatingly loud roar tore out through the trees.

"The Zira is approaching," Mantis said, eyes widened in fear.

Quill turned towards his fellow guardians. "Listen, I have a plan." He spoke fast, glancing behind him as the roar grew louder. "Rocket and Drax will fight off the orroks and try to keep them distracted while me, Mantis, and Gamora will try to weaken the Zira, and while the bird monsters are distracted, Groot will go and get the amulet. Then we run. Sound good?" Rocket opened his mouth for a moment, about to speak, but Quill cut him off. "Good. Because we don't have much of a choice. Let's go!"

They emerged into a clearing where thousands of orroks hissed and cawed, all surrounding the Zira, a huge, 11-foot orrok with bright magenta feathers and piercing red eyes. Inside of its sharp beak stood two pointed fangs, which Gamora assumed the venom shot from. The Zira let out a sharp cry, sending troops of orroks forward. Rocket and Drax fought, and Quill, Gamora, and Mantis ducked, stalking forward towards the Zira, which was now hovering a few feet off the ground.

Gamora charged at it, stabbing the godslayer into its side, and the Zia let out a shriek of pain and surprise. Mantis tried to find a way to sneak up in the Zira to attempt to use her empathic powers on it. Peter activated his mask and shot at it, firing up his rocket boosters to attack the alpha from another angle. The Zira opened is beak and shot out a burst of black, goopy venom, and Quill ducked away from the spray with a yelp. The venom landed on a cloud of orroks, killing them in the process.

"That lady really wasn't kidding about this big bird. Anyone seen Groot?" Quill asked through the communicator, firing at the Zira again.

"I gave him the navigator. He's on his way to the amulet as we speak" Rocket replied. "Any progress on weakening the alpha?"

Gamora replied this time as an idea sprang into her mind. "If I can wound its wings and feet we may be able to immobilize it. That will make it much easier for Mantis to put it to sleep."

"Good luck with that."

Gamora ducked away from another spray of venom, a small splash landing on her arm and sending waves of pain down her body. Ignoring it, Gamora advanced towards it's left wing, which was flapping hard to hover in the air, blade raised. "Peter you get right wing, I've got left. We can bring it to the ground if we're quick." She spoke through the comm.

"Sounds good." He replied. Gamora began running towards the wing of the Zira but stopped as she heard a familiar voice shout across the clearing

"I AM GROOT!" Groot chortled from across the clearing, holding up a sparkling blue amulet and grinning. Quill, who had started to fire into the beast's right wing, was caught off guard and stopped as well to look for where the voice was coming from. The Zira used this opportunity to turn its head toward's Quill, opening its beak and hissing.

"PETER!" Gamora yelled at the top of her lungs, but it was too late. The Zira had sprayed a mess of venom onto Peter, sending him flying backwards to the ground, yelping with pain as he hit the ground.

"Son of a!" Peter winced, obviously in excruciating pain. In a moment of pure drama and adrenaline, Gamora shot herself upwards, stabbing her sword into the Zira's neck with so much force it fell from the sky and collapsed on the floor, where Mantis could put him to sleep.

Gamora landed on the ground with a grunt, the impact of her landing shooting pain into her legs. Nevertheless, she ran over to Peter, kneeling beside him to asses the damage. The venom was making him bleed, and he was unconscious now. Drax, Rocket, Mantis, and Groot took notice of Quill's fall and ran over to where he lay.

"He is loosing too much blood. We need to get him treated _at once._" Gamora urged, glancing over at the Zira, who was asleep on the floor, blood gushing from its neck. The orrok swarms had landed, studying the alpha's body with surprise and curiosity. "Let's _go._"

Drax, the most muscular out of the group, picked up Peter's body, and the group began quickly finding their way back to the village, Groot clutching the amulet close to him. Gamora led the group, her mind a blizzard of nonsense thoughts. Too much had happened too fast.

_I swear on my life, Peter I won't let you die here on this planet. Not this way. _

**A/N: So that's the end of chapter 2! I wanted to end it here so that I could switch to Peter's perspective in chapter 3. Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3-Injuries

**A/N: Sorry that this chap is posted a bit later. I won't really be keeping a consistent schedule for posting new chapters but hopefully, I'll update often. I edited chapter 2 a bit if any of ya'll wanna reread it. Also, this chapter will be in Peter's perspective. Be prepared for lots of fluff. So without further ado, here's chapter 3. Enjoy!**

The first thing he felt was pain. A searing, burning pain that crawled through his skin and into his bones. The pain was all over Peter's chest and abdomen where the venom had sprayed. A headache poked annoyingly at the back of his head. He was obviously in some sort of hospital on Vizonia. He could see dim aqua colored light filtering through his closed eyelids. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of Drax carrying him bridal style, and-

_Gamora_. The memory of Gamora leading the group, fighting off orroks as they hurried towards town. Her clothes were soaked in crimson red, and a scratch had appeared on her forehead, dripping blood down her face. _Is she okay?_

Peter tried to move off of the cushiony bed he was situated on, but he couldn't. It was as if his joints were frozen. He could hear a song playing gently in the room. He immediately recognized it from his Zune. _Crazy Little Thing Called Love. _Queen. How was Terran music playing here? Perhaps he was just imagining it.

His confusion was interrupted as he felt soft hands slid into his. He knew them to be Gamora's. Soft to the touch with perfectly manicured fingernails. He could feel her pulse, steady and strong through her hands.

Wait, since when did Gamora hold hands? He recalled a moment back on Berhert when she was reassuring his doubts about Ego. By the time Peter had looked down at their hands, she had pulled away and shared a look with him. Gamora didn't take signs of affection lightly, only letting Quill in at particularly touchy moments. But now, she didn't seem to have any intention of pulling away any time soon.

Quill opened his eyes slowly, now able to see the room. More importantly, he could see Gamora standing over him with a worried expression on her face. She was looking down at their joined hands, her head tilted slightly.

"Morning." Quill croaked gently, a small smile dancing across his face. Gamora was slightly taken aback by Peter's awakening, for she flinched and her hands twitched, but thankfully she did not pull her hands away. She looked at him, gaze softening. Peter's heart did backflips as she smiled a small grin.

"You playing music?" He asked, sitting up a bit and ignoring the pain in his torso. Gamora smiled.

"Yes. I hoped it would be nice for you to wake up to it." Her voice was soft and careful. Light as a feather as if she talked too strong Peter may shatter. Peter squeezed her hands gently, softly smiling.

"Thank you." Quill was surprised that such a small act of kindness could fill him with so much emotion.

"How are you feeling?" Gamora asked, pulling one hand away so that she could pull a chair over to Peter's bed. Her hand soon returned.

"Not great. My skins on _fire._" He winced, feeling a new wave of pain wash over him. He sighed gently. "Are _you _okay? I woke up for a second while you guys were carrying me over here. You were covered in blood." He noticed a small white strip of bandage where on Gamora's forehead where the cut once was. He brought one hand up to caress her face slowly, running his thumb gently over the bandage with caution.

"I'm fine. My wounds aren't nearly as bad as yours." She brought a hand up to where Perter was holding her face, resting her hand there and lacing their fingers. "I'm sorry I lead you into that plan. I got you hurt. I blame myself for this." She said quietly, letting out a small sigh at the sight of Quill's injuries. Quill squeezed her hand

"Hey, what happened to I'm-Cool-And-Mean-And-People-Can-Take-Care-Of-Themselves Gamora?" He smirked, but it soon faded. "It's not your fault. I was caught off guard. I should have been more focused." He breathed in sharply, sitting up farther. Gamora was a tough and skilled fighter, however, her feelings were quite fragile.

"Let's just," he brought their intertwined hands down from her face to the edge of the hospital bed. "Let's just not blame anyone, okay?" He sighed, frowning a bit before changing the subject. "Did we get the amulet back to those high-and-mighty gray dirtbags?"

"Yes. They said they will transmit us the units soon." She said.

"Awesome. Now we can get the hell off this planet." He sighed in relief

"Well," She breathed in, leaning in closer and propping her elbows on her thighs. "We will be snowed in for a while. There was a blizzard while you were passed out. We won't be able to get fuel for a few hours. Or at least until the snowfall dies down."

Quill sighed and let out a groan of despair, throwing his head back. He could hear a small chuckle escape Gamora's lips at his childlike reaction. "Where are the others?" He asked, bringing his head back down and yawning.

"One of the nurses gave them a room to relax in. I didn't stay long. I wanted to be here when you woke up." She said, a yawn taking hold of her as well. The song had changed by now. The tune playing now was _How Long _by Ace. Peter began singing along, swaying to the beat.

"_How long_" he smiled, nodding his head to the quiet bass "_has this been goin' on?_" Gamora chuckled, shaking her head softly.

They stayed like that for a few moments, Peter belting out the lyrics to the rhythmic song, and Gamora sitting next to him, listening to his singing. Their jam session- is that what they would call it?- was interrupted as a doctor entered the room. He wore a flowing off-white tunic and some kind of pen tucked behind one ear.

"Guardians," He nodded to both of them. He walked over to Peter's bed, standing on the opposite side of Gamora. He spoke to Peter in a soft voice, looking down at a scroll. _Damn, this planet is old-fashioned._

"Luckily, you arrived here fast enough, and we were able to remove the venom before it reached your organs. You may experience pain in your skin and muscles. Do not scratch the scars. You all may leave in an hour or so when the snow slows." Peter just nodded and mumbled a goodbye as the doctor left.

"Well, looks like we got some time to kill." He grinned, looking up at the lanterns that hung from the ceilings. They were glass jars with small bugs that reminded him of fireflies floating around inside, producing the blue-green light. The dim light of the room provided a cozy atmosphere, and Peter turned onto his side to get a better view of Gamora. They had untangled their hands by now, Peter propping himself up by placing an elbow on his pillow and resting his chin on his palm. Gamora simply placed her hands in her lap.

Peter took this moment to admire Gamora's beauty. She had changed out of her blood-soaked clothing and into another outfit. It wasn't anything special. A simple black shirt and pants, along with a pair of boots that reached right below her knees. Her long, wavy hair extended right below her shoulders. Her emerald skin glowed in the blue-green light, the silver markings on her face twinkling. Peter found himself smiling at her absolute beauty.

"You're staring, Peter," Gamora said, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

Quill flinched. "Oh, sorry." There was a moment when nobody talked. The song playing on Peter's Zune had changed by now. They sat in comfortable silence, absorbing the soft sounds of _Scarlet Begonias _by the Grateful Dead. After a while of silence, Gamora finally spoke.

"What's the plan for the next hour?" She asked, sitting upright.

Quill sat up as well, scratching the back of his head. "I dunno. I was thinking about taking a nap. I'm kinda tired." Gamora nodded in agreement. "Although maybe we should just talk. We haven't really had time to talk about the _unspoken thing_." he inhaled. "The spoken things, too," he added, avoiding eye contact with Gamora. Their relationship had gotten quite confusing after the acknowledgment of the unspoken thing. It had simply remained unspoken. They _needed_ to talk about it at some point, didn't they?

"Look, I know I'm not always very responsible. I'm irrational and dumb and not the best person in the galaxy. But," He looked at Gamora, who looked back, a dark green blush materializing on her cheeks. "I care about you." He continued, "A lot. Like, more than I should. You scare me sometimes. Not in a 'this woman is a killer and I should probably get away from her' type of way like you would think, but in a 'you're covered in blood and I don't know if it's yours and I'm worried for your safety' kind of way." Peter drew back, watching Gamora's facial expression change. Had he said the wrong thing? Did he mess everything up? How does this sort of thing work? Is she going to say something? Is she going to run away?

"I care about you too, Peter." Quill released his breath, that he didn't realize he was holding. "And you're right. You are irresponsible. You are irrational and brash and quite frankly an idiot. But you're _my _idiot." a small laugh escaped her lips, "I know i can count on you to be there. Be _here_. With me. Whenever my emotions get the best of me you are right next to me. Ready to catch me an put me back on my feet if I fall. I adore that about you." She looked at him and smiled, peering into his eyes.

Peter's heart felt like it was about to break out of his chest and run to the edge of the universe and back. He opened his mouth slightly, about to speak, but no words came out. All that they could say had been said. It was then that Quill noticed Gamora was trembling. _Trembling. _The Gamora Peter knew did not tremble. Maybe it was just cold. He certainly felt a bit chilly, even with the blanket of the bed. Peter wondered how it would feel to snuggle up and lay next to Gamora. The idea of cuddling with someone as ridged as Gamora sounded outlandish, but even so, quite desirable

"You look cold," Peter said after a while.

"I am" she replied.

Before Quill could even process what was happening, Gamora had stood up and slid herself to lay next to Peter, her front facing his chest as she gently rested her head in the crook of his neck, arms snaking around the back of his head to tangle in his hair. Peter relaxed into her slightly, heart still racing. He slowly and carefully wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his hands on the small of her back. He could feel warmth radiate from her body, warding away the cold. The pain in his torso and headache seemed to melt away at her gentle touch and the dark waves of sleep began to lap at his mind as his eyes drooped closed. He finally let himself succumb to the dark corners of slumber, feeling Gamora plant a kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight, Peter."

**A/N: There you have it, folks. Already 3 chapters in and knee-deep in pure fluff. Let me know what you think! See ya'll on the side that flips. → **


	4. Chapter 4-Protecting

**A/N: Greetings and salutations! Welcome to chapter 4 of Cosmic Girl. The last chapter certainly had a whole lotta feeling and fluff and cuteness. I may tone it down a bit in this chapter (but no promises). I'm p sure this chap will have some hurt/comfort of some sort. Dearest apologies for the delay with this chapter! Writer's block has been hitting me hard and school kinda sucks so I don't have a lot of time to work. Anyways, thanks for reading on! Enjoy the chapter you magnificent lovies.**

Gamora woke up to the feeling of someone holding her. _Holding her_. What? Who? Where was she? Her moment of confusion was shattered as she finally remembered the previous events. She cringed at what she had said before. It didn't sound like her. Peter had that effect on her. He made her feel as if she was going to internally combust, her remains flying out and reaching the edges of space and time. Quite frankly, the feeling wasn't as horrible as one may expect.

Gamora's head was tucked into the crook of Peter's neck, her knees bent into her chest so that she was curled up into him. She felt more relaxed than ever, laying here with Peter's arms holding her gently, yet securely. Her eyes fluttered open, and she snuggled in deeper into Peter, feeling a wisp of cold air as it brushed over her skin. She watched as peter slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes and smiled down at Gamora

"Hey," he said, brushing a lock of hair out of Gamora's face. A tint of dark green spread across her face as a subtle smile fought onto her lips.

_Stop blushing, idiot, you look like a fool. _She thought to herself, her breathing becoming shallow.

"Should I come back later?" A voice interrupted her and Quill's moment. Gamora turned her head to see Rocket standing at the doorway, arms crossed and stifling a laugh. Groot sat on his shoulder, grinning and waving. "The snow stopped. We can get our asses out of here now. Refueled the ship for us while you two were making out in here."

Quill raised his head. "Hey! We weren't-" Gamora silenced him as she quickly slipped out of bed. She walked towards the doorway, still blushing mad.

"Thank you, Rocket. Let's go." She walked out of the room without a glance back. She crossed her arms, waiting in the hallway for the rest of the Guardians. Her mind was a storm of emotions as she sat in a chair in the hallway. Too much had happened today. Near-death experiences. Admitting feelings. Rocket being an ass. It all seemed very similar to the situation they were in during the Ego fiasco.

She could faintly hear Quill and Rocket arguing in the other room. They both finally stormed out after what seemed like hours. Rocket staying absolutely silent and avoiding eye contact with anybody. Quill just crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath, looking down at the ground. They met up with Mantis and Drax and walked out of the hospital.

The air smelled of freshly fallen snow, and the sky was now a reddish-magenta as the sun began to set. The glow of the dusk cascaded purple light onto the marble white buildings, making them sparkle. The ground was covered in a thick blanket of snow and ice that shimmered like a wealthy woman's jewelry. The group made their way back to the Quadrant in silence. They entered the common room, where Kraglin was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of soup.

"G'evning." He nodded to them as they entered the ship. Kraglin very rarely came with the guardians on missions. He had said that rather than fighting, he preferred to watch after the ship.

Gamora acknowledged Kraglin with a small nod, walking into the kitchen. She hadn't eaten in a while (there wasn't much to eat anyways). Peter had situated himself on a chair at the table, fumbling with his Zune. As Gamora searched the cabinets for anything she could whip up, Drax entered the room.

"We should go out tonight," Drax said. "We have not left the ship other than for missions in a long while."

"That's a great idea, Drax," Gamora said, noticing that Quil was about to protest. She knew she wouldn't be comfortable if everyone was slightly agitated all night. Perhaps a small outing on Xandar was what they needed to relax. She glanced at Quill for a moment. "Ask the others if they'd like to join."

As Drax nodded and walked out of the kitchen, Gamora pulled out a chair and sat next to Peter. She rested her arms on the table, looking down at her hands.

"What a day." He muttered, rubbing his eyes. Without even realizing what she was doing, Gamora reached out and took his hands in hers. They made eye contact for a brief moment before looking away. Drax entered the room with Mantis and Rocket, and Gamora let go of Quill's hands, standing up.

"Are we ready to go?"

They landed on Xandar, stepping into the cool night air. Gamora had said previously that Drax should be the one to pick the bar that they would go to, so he led the group through the busy night streets. Gamora's hair was now twisted into a long braid that snaked down her back. Gamora and Peter strayed towards the back of the group, locking arms and looking around at the bright city lights. They smiled at each other for a moment before Gamora glanced away, slightly embarrassed.

They arrived at a club with a flashing neon sign that Gamora translated to 'The Lost Ember'. The guardians took a seat at a table. There was music playing and people danced around, chatting and socializing. Gamora didn't order anything. Quill had asked for some food for the table, and Gamora concluded that that would be enough for her.

Gamora found herself glancing at Quill ever few moments, maybe a few more times than she should have. He just sat there, looking quite tired and a bit upset about something. His face lit up for a moment before he standing up.

"Be right back," he said.

There was a bit of a commotion coming from the DJ's booth before a familiar tune rang out into the club. Gamora recognized the song to be_ Love is the Drug_. She should have seen it coming. Peter had grabbed his Zune on the way out, but Gamora didn't think much of it. Now, as Peter came dance-walking over to the table, Gamora couldn't help but smile

"Wow. You are ridiculous." Gamora said, biting back a laugh.

Peter smirked. "It took some convincing, but I finally got the guy to let me play some _actual _music." He held out his hand to Gamora. "Wanna dance?" He had asked her this many times before, but only once had she complied. It was back on Ego, before their horrible fight. Looking back, she felt a bit angry at herself for changing the mushy topic of conversation into something that would lead to utter chaos.

Gamora shook her head. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in such a busy corner of a planet that adored the guardians for saving them. More importantly, she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of Peter.

"You go. Have fun. I'll watch you." She smiled lightly, crossing her arms.

Quill, who was used to this response by now, half-smiled before waltzing back onto the dance floor. Gamora him for a while. She wondered how he was able to move so enthusiastically with his injuries. She caught Peter glancing at her multiple times while flashing her a radiant smile, which made Gamora's cheeks feel warm

Out of the corner of her eye, Gamora could see a woman with deep turquoise skin looking particularly angry. She was sitting at a nearby table, flaring her nostrils and flaring her nostrils. She was looking furiously at something. Someone. Gamora followed her gaze, but before she could act the woman had already begun advancing towards Peter, who had noticed the woman by now.

"Shit." she could barely pick up his voice in the blare of the music. Peter smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He looked particularly terrified. "Heyyy," he paused for a moment, most likely trying to recall the woman's name. "Adrielia?" Peter scratched his head.

Gamora had stood up by now, studying the woman carefully. Her hair was long and dark purple with small flecks of gold as if it were a galaxy. Long, thin, and slightly torn azure wings jutted out from her back. She wore a loose-fitting deep green gown that extended just above her knee, and the ensemble was completed with a pair of gold earrings, looping around webbed ears that fashioned the same thin film as her wings.

"_Aralane_" she hissed, crossing her arms. The woman immediately burst out into a rant of furious shouting and crude cursing. Quill looked alarmed, peeping out a couple of words before Aralane exploded again. The lecture ended as Peter squeaked out something that must have made the woman even angrier than before, for she kicked Quill in the stomach so hard he stumbled back a few steps, the air rushing out of his lungs.

Something snapped inside Gamora as the woman uttered the words "dirty lying son of a bitch". She strode over to the woman faster than she could control. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and she could feel her pulse hot in her chest.

"Are we going to have a problem?" Gamora stood in front of Peter, who looked to be in a lot of pain. The woman had kicked him right where the Zira's venom had sprayed.

Aralane scoffed, scanning Gamora up and down. "_Really?_ You're dating the actual daughter of Thanos. I don't care how many times you save the world. No matter what, neither of you deserve happiness." Aralane didn't speak directly to Gamora, as if she wasn't standing right there in front of her. Peter, who was clutching his chest and standing behind Gamora stammered out a 'We actually', but Gamora silenced him with a look.

Aralane soon looked Gamora dead in the eyes"I wonder how many lies he has told you." She crossed her arms. "I mean, that little prick isn't even good enough for someone as pathetic as you." she snarled at Gamora, who though little about the insults being thrown at her, and instead clung to the words that she used to describe Quill. "What a _piece of crap_." Aralane hissed while staring at Peter as she began walking away. She did not get far before Gamora shot herself in front of her, striking a blow to her stomach before knocking her out promptly with a strike to the head.

It wasn't until that very moment that Gamora noticed that everyone had stopped dancing. The constant bustle of noise had been silenced by the brawl, and all eyes were on Gamora. Quill was staring at her with wide eyes. She couldn't read his expression. He just looked completely and utterly startled. Gamora, overrun with adrenaline, bolted for the door.

Peter found Gamora outside of the bar a few blocks away, sitting on the edge of a fountain whose water had stopped spraying. She was studying her hands and slightly shivering, looking quite cold. Peter wished he knew what she was thinking at that moment.

"That was pretty badass what you did back at the bar." He said, smiling and sitting down next to Gamora. "I mean I don't think anyone's really stuck up for me like that before. I mean, I'd say that's a _pretty _heroic act. Almost as heroic as I am every day." Quill stated this in a very serious tone, but he still hoped Gamora knew he was fooling around. She looked up at him, eyes shining in the buttery glow of Xandar's moon.

"For most of my life, I have been taught to be a ruthless killer. Never once stopping to consider the emotions of others. My sister and I simply followed the instructions given, relying on what we had learned about fighting." Gamora sighed. "When I saw that woman say those things to you, wear you down to the point of injuring you, it made me angry. I needed to do something and the only solution in my mind was to prevent her from speaking or moving. I couldn't let her hurt you like that without consequences. In a way, that is what I had done when working for Thanos. We would murder hundreds of innocent people without witnessing the costs." Peter could see her eyes get glassy at the memories.

Peter pulled Gamora into a warm embrace. "Hey," he spoke gently. "You're cool now though. Being a straight-up badass bitch and saving other people- saving _me- _from harm. I think that's pretty awesome." He inhaled. "I think _you're _pretty awesome. So keep doing that. Saving people. It's your job. Forget about whatever crazy shit happened in the past. Focus on the present." He smiled softly, feeling his heart beat through his chest.

Gamora did not reply. She simply sunk into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his middle carefully, as not to irritate his wounds. Peter's injuries were the least of his concerns right now. All that mattered was that Gamora was here, in his arms. He wished with all of his heart that he could tell Gamora right then and there how much he loved her. He longed to feel her lips on hers. But alas, the two were not there yet.

_One day. _Peter thought, running his fingers through Gamora's hair,(which she had unbraided by now). _One day._

**A/N: So there you have it, folks! I took a lot of inspo from other starmora fics, but I'm happy with how this chap turned out. Once again, I' sorry about the delay! Let me know what you want to see in the next chapters. Reviews are encouraged and greatly appreciated! Until next time, this is Marina, signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5-Nightmares and Birthdays

**A/N: Howdy ya'll! Its ya girl Marina. We bacc with chapter 5. OK, QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT FIRST- I'm having a bit of trouble coming up w/ what to write for future chapters. **_**Please please please **_**give me suggestions or requests and just tell me what you're hoping to see next so that this fanfic can keep growing strong. You can reach me by leaving a review (you can still leave a review as an anonymous user) or, you can private message me on Tumblr ** ** Anyways, enjoy this chapter! **

Gamora lay in bed after getting back to the ship, replaying the day's events over and over again in her head. She and Peter had definitely grown closer today. It felt nice to actually let someone in for once. Although the two had shared a heartfelt talk about leaving the past in the past, old memories of her time working for Thanos began seeping back into her brain

_Forget about whatever crazy shit happened in the past. Focus on the present. _Peter's words repeated themselves in her brain, but no matter what she did a feeling sat inside of her that just wasn't quite right.

By the time she finally drifted off to sleep, her mind had barely been quieted. Horrid dreams flashed into her mind. Thanos. The orroks. Her friends getting hurt. _Peter_ getting hurt. They were all dying and there wasn't anything she could do to save them. It was her fault.

She awoke from her terrors and sat up on her elbows. Catching her breath and laying back down, Gamora hugged a pillow close to her, tucking her knees up to her chest. She felt like crying. No, she didn't cry. She wouldn't. She _would not _her thoughts get to her. She knew that there was only one way to calm her mind. One person who could relax her.

_You are going to embarrass yourself. Just deal with your nightmares. You've done it before. _She thought to herself, sighing and swallowing back tears. She closed her eyes again, and when the dark talons of sleep finally claimed her, the nightmares returned. She was falling. _No, _Peter was falling. She was watching him fall, his arms flailing as he screamed for help. She couldn't move. She was frozen, paralyzed at the edge of a dark cliff.

She woke again, her breath shallow. It took her a moment to realize that it was all a dream, but even so, she wanted to make sure that he was okay. The thought of her tiptoeing into Peter's room and slipping into bed next to him made her want to run far away and just _go for it_ at the same time.

Her heart told her to go, to leave her lonely dark and cold corner of the ship, and to go to someplace that she would be comfortable. On the other hand, a voice in her mind told her not to go. The voice that told her that she would make a fool of herself. The voice that knew Peter would eventually see the brutal monster she really was and leave her to rot in the middle of nowhere (perhaps even Knowhere).

Silencing the voice, Gamora slipped out of her bed as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of her room. She padded to her door, sliding out of the room and gently closing the door behind her. She found her way to Quill's room, opening the door and slipping into his room. He was sleeping peacefully in bed, and Gamora felt sorry to disturb him at such a late hour.

She walked over to where he slept, touching his arm gently. "Peter," she said, her voice small and frail. Nightmares had taken quite a toll on her confidence. She repeated the action, and Quill eventually let out a soft groan, shifting over and opening his eyes slowly.

"G'mora?" He sounded quite sleepy, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "It's the middle of the night. Are you okay?"

Her heart ached at the tone of concern and care in his voice. "I'm fine. Are _you _okay?"

"I'm okay why would I not-" he paused, furrowing his brow. "Why are you here? Did something happen?" He let out a sigh. "Is this because of what I said earlier? I knew I sounded like an idiot." Quill shook his head gently in embarrassment.

"No," She blurted a bit louder than she had intended. "it's just," Gamora exhaled, her breath shaky. "I've been getting horrible nightmares. I just need to make sure you are safe."

Quill still looked concerned and slightly confused. "Oh. A-alright. Do you wanna sleep here tonight?" He asked, scooting over a bit and patting the open space next to him.

Gamora's heart seemed to be jumping up and down at this point, and her breath was shallow. Without anything more than a small nod, Gamora climbed into Peter's soft, warm bed. She immediately pulled him into an embrace, not realizing she was holding him as tight as she was. It was if she through he might disappear at any moment. It wasn't until she realized that his muscles were tensed that she finally remembered his injuries. Gamora loosened her grip on him.

"Sorry, am I hurting you?"

Peter gently pulled away to look at her face in the dim light of the room. "No, no, no. That was nice but," he looked at her worriedly "you don't look okay. Like, would you want to talk about it or-" Gamora silenced him as she shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek.

"I'm fine. You're fine. We are both fine." She said to both herself and Peter. Peter took her hands in his, inching himself closer towards her, gaze softening. She moved her head towards him so that their foreheads were touching. She relaxed into him, feeling her thoughts melt away at his gentle touch. Quill ran his fingers through her hair, and after what seemed like hours of just laying there, staring at each other, Quill spoke.

"What are we?" He asked. Gamora did not know how to answer. "Friends? I mean, last time I checked friends didn't do whatever it is we're doing now." Peter scratched the back of his head. "We're not quite in a _relationship _though. Even though we both know we _totally could be_" He half-smiled.

Gamora put a finger to his lips. "Peter, you're ruining the moment." She whispered, bringing her head to rest on his chest. Peter quieted, moving a hand to lay on the small of her back.

"Night 'Mora."

Peter woke the next morning. He had completely forgotten the previous night's events, so it startled him to see Gamora laying in his arms. It took a few moments for his mind to realize this situation was not how it seemed. Peter took a deep breath and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Gamora stirred for a moment, nuzzling her head into him and slowly opening her eyes. What the hell? This absolutely could not be Gamora. She was never one to display physical affection so directly like this.

"Hey," She mumbled sleepily, pulling away from him and sitting up. To be honest, the action seemed slightly hesitant, as if she was disappointed that she had to move.

"You feelin' better?" he asked, sitting up as well.

Gamora nodded. "I slept well last night. Thank you." a small smile spread onto her face, and she tried looking away to hide it. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, standing up. "I am going to find something to eat," she said before walking out and closing the door behind her.

Peter was left to his thoughts in the dim light of the room. Was yesterday even real? Maybe it was all just a dream. No, that made zero sense. All of the previous events had actually happened. Would things between Gamora and Peter change? This was the first time they had slept together. Well, not _slept together_. Slept next to each other. _Jesus, _why did Gamora have to be so damn confusing all the time? He had still not gotten an answer to his question.

_What are we?_

Quill pushed his thoughts away, changing out of his pajamas and into a somewhat clean t-shirt and pants. He stepped out of his room, stretching and yawning. Mantis was at the table when he entered the common room. Peter leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes again. He longed to go back to sleep and just lay there for a couple more hours, but alas, there was work to be done. He mumbled a greeting to Mantis, and she smiled in response.

Gamora entered the room, looking down at the plate of breakfast that she was carrying. The ghost of a smile was stuck on her face, and Mantis, being the curious person that she was, reached out and touched Gamora, sensing her feelings. Gamora flinched away, stumbling back in surprise. Mantis did not say a word but had clearly sensed Gamora's feelings, for she gave her a knowing smile.

Peter raised his eyebrows, wondering what Gamora was feeling at that moment. He imagined how much easier it would be if he was an empath like Mantis. He wouldn't have to lay awake at night, thinking about what Gamora had been thinking- or feeling- at a specific moment.

Drax and Rocket entered the room, clearly already having a conversation, for Drax was laughing as if Rocket had said the funniest thing in the universe.

"AND THEN," Rocket inhaled, laughing his head off as well. "THE KID ASKED ME TO COME TO HIS _BIRTHDAY PARTY_!" The two exploded into another fit of laughter. Gamora looked slightly agitated at their utter loudness.

_Birthdays_. In the months that Peter and Gamora had known each other, Gamora had never mentioned anything about her birthday. It had to be coming up soon, right? Peter walked over to Gamora.

"Hey 'Mora, when's your birthday?" he asked.

Gamora tilted her head a bit, thinking. "The day I was born? Well, I suppose it was yesterday but I-"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold on a hot minute!" Peter held his hands up to his temples. "Yesterday? Why didn't you tell us? We could have had a party!" He waved his hands around for emphasis, shocked.

Rocket and Drax had stopped laughing by now, and Drax stepped forward. "We _did _go out yesterday."

"Yeah but-" Peter began, but was cut off by Drax.

"Birthday's are dumb. Why would one celebrate getting closer to death? If anything, it should be a sorrowful occasion." he argued, crossing his arms.

"He's right, I never really celebrated my birthday on my home planet or with Thanos."

"Lord, why are aliens so damn sad about everything?" Peter exclaimed. "You're telling me you've _never celebrated your birthday before_? I mean, even with the ravagers I got a couple of gifts once in a while. This is insane."

Gamora looked slightly confused. It was normal for his friends to not be accustomed to Earth traditions, but this was just outrageous. His surprise was put on hold as an idea popped into his head.

"Okay, okay. You guys should go out into town and get supplies. I need to do something real quick."

Quill stumbled away to his room, gathering the materials he needed. When the rest of the guardians left, he began his project. He trekked over to a storage room, clearing the crates to the walls and stacking them so that there was an empty space in the middle of the room. He began decorating working for a good forty-five minutes before finally finishing. He set the note he had prepared on the common room table before hurrying back to the storage room and awaiting Gamora's return.

_Here we go._

Gamora and the rest of the guardians got back to the Quadrant, setting their supplies on the counter. Fresh food, ammo, and other things that they would need. Peter was nowhere to be seen. The only thing remaining in the common room was a small note. It was scribbled onto a piece of old paper that had been ripped from a journal.

The note read _Gamora- Welcome back. You better get excited because you have a lot of stuff planned for today. This is a little scavenger hunt I set up (my mother did this for my birthday back on Earth), so you have to follow the clues to get to the next location. It eventually leads to your present! Alright, your first clue is unspoken thing- now go!_

_-Quill_

Gamora let out a small laugh. This was ridiculous, but Gamora thought it would be fun, so she went along with it. After a few moments of thinking, she eventually decided to look over in the area where she had first admitted their unspoken thing. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was after they had defeated Ego, staring out at the array of colors at Yondu's funeral.

She walked over to the window where another note was taped. The clue was _You're ruining the moment. _Gamora chuckled and shook her head. She didn't have to think much to know where the next clue was hidden. She opened the door to Peter's room. It took her a few moments to find the piece of paper, but she eventually found it taped to the back of his door.

Instead of a note, she found a map of the ship. She recognized the different rooms that had been messily drawn out. One room was circled in bright yellow, and Gamora recognized it as a storage room. She smiled and began making her way over to the room. Music was playing from the other side of its closed doors. She recognized it to be _Fooled Around and Fell in Love, _and she was immediately taken back to the day they had first met. She was very hesitant trusting people back then. She couldn't remember how many times she had threatened to hurt or had _actually hurt _Peter those days fighting Ronan. This song was special to the two, and Gamora smiled as she entered the room.

The metal storage crates and boxes had been stacked along the walls and long strands pf purple plastic and fabric had been hung from the pipes and wires on the ceiling. Balloons were tied down to crates around the room, and the whole room had a warm milky glow.

Peter stood in the center of the room, smiling. "Well?"

Gamora held back a laugh. "You are _ridiculous._"

"Let's dance," Peter insisted, holding out a hand to Gamora. She took it a bit hesitantly but soon fell into step with the music. They moved to the beat of the song, moving in closer towards one another.

"Sorry I didn't have time to get you an actual present. Didn't have a lotta time." He half smiled, spinning her around.

"It's fine. This is really thoughtful of you." She said as their dancing slowed into a sway.

She knew that this would be a good time to say what she had wanted to say all day. It would take her a lot of confidence, but when was she ever not confident? She was brought back to the previous night, where something as simple as a nightmare had made her crumble.

"I've been thinking about what you said last night." Gamora brought up the subject casually and carefully, taking a deep breath. "I would be willing to be in a relationship with you. I know I have not been very trusting of you in the past, but I believe that your core values are pure." She couldn't find a way to phrase it without putting the two in an awkward situation.

Peter let out his breath, which he had been holding. "Dude, you have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that." He sighed in relief and Gamora smiled up at him.

"Thank you again for this. It's really sweet of you," she said. "The others are probably wondering where we are." She kissed him on the cheek quickly and swiftly. "Let's go."

**A/N:wHooo! That was quite a chapter. Sorry for the delay. These things take me a while to write so I'll prob post a new chapter every 3-4 days or so. Thank you for your patience! Don't forget to let me know what your suggestions are! You can see all of my social media on my bio. Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoyed. See you in chapter 6!**


	6. Chapter 6-Reassurance

**A/N: Hey ya'll! So sorry for the delay. I haven't been too sure about what to write (please give suggestions!) and school has been real stressful but I'm trying my best to get chapters posted. This chapter is quite influenced by a couple of my favorite Starmora fanfics. ("Stuck on You" and "Learning to Be Lovers" Credit to Master Magician on for the inspo!) Thanks so much to BiancaDiAngelo36 on Wattpad for all your support! Means a lot to me that you're enjoying the fanfic so far! Anyways, into chapter 6**

Gamora and Peter had been officially in a relationship for a week. Not much had changed, other than the fact that the two slept in the same bed each night. Standing close to each other whenever possible. Stolen glances every once in a while. They still had not kissed. This was something Quill was a bit disappointed about. They had come close before, but it had never actually happened. Peter knew Gamora would eventually come around. She seemed to be a bit slow with these things.

Everything was quite pleasant though. Gamora had stated that ever since the two had been sleeping together, her nightmares had subsided. Indeed, it seemed as though his presence warded off night terrors.

They were now on their way to a mission. It involved rescuing royalty from 'a mysterious force' that had fallen over the land. The description of the job wasn't very specific, but the pay was quite high so the guardians didn't mind much.

Peter was piloting, navigating through space to get to the jump point that would lead to their destination. Rocket was copiloting beside him, while Gamora, Mantis, and Drax sat behind. They hummed along to _Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad, _a classic that Peter had found on his Zune.

They arrived on the planet, all preparing for the mission. Peter grabbed his things and almost made it to the exit of the ship before a voice interrupted him halfway down the corridor. "Nuh-uh-uh. Not so fast there Star-Munch."

Quill turned around to see Rocket standing with his arms crossed, a smirk plastered to his face. "You and Gamora been together a week now. Go hang out on the ship. Me and the others got this mission covered." he said. "Do somethin' special" Rocket added.

"How did you know we have been in a relationship?" Gamora, who was standing behind Quill asked.

"Well, I mean I guess you could say I'm good at picking up clu-" Rocket began.

"I told him." Peter cut in.

"Yeah, he told me."

Gamora looked slightly agitated. "_Peter._" She crossed her arms.

Rocket smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to it!" He walked over to the exit. "Don't have too much fun." He said with a suggestive grin. Peter began to protest at Rocket's comment, but he soon skidded out of the ship, followed by the others.

"Jeez, I don't know whether to be mad at him for being obnoxious about it or mad at myself for telling him," Peter mumbled, watching through the window as his friends made their way towards the city.

He looked over to see Gamora leaning her front against the railing that was on the window side of the hall. She looked tired and a bit stressed. As an attempt to make her a bit less upset, Peter walked over to Gamora, rapping her in a hug from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. She tensed for a moment, but soon relaxed into him, letting out a sigh. Something was up. Sure, she was crabby sometimes, but Gamora wasn't usually this offset.

"Is something wrong?"

Gamora shook her head. "No. I'm just tired."

Quill knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth. He knew that he shouldn't push it, but he couldn't go on the whole day with Gamora moping around being upset. " 'Mora, what's wrong. Seriously."

She was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking about what she was going to say. "I don't think I'm quite capable of being loved."

Peter was quiet now. _What the hell? Why does she think that? _Perhaps Peter had done something to make her feel that he did not care about her. God, he barely knew how to act in a relationship.

"That's _bullshit._" Peter squinted his eyes in confusion. He guided Gamora to turn and face him. "Why?"

Gamora gently slid away from him, clearly avoiding eye contact. "I'm a killer." She stated bluntly.

Quill leaned his side against the wall, facing Gamora even though she refused to look at him. "Hey," he said softly "everyone here has killed before. It would be kinda hard to save the universe without killin' off the bad guys, right?"

"I have _murdered _hundreds of innocent people. How could anyone _possibly _want to be associates, let alone become lovers, with someone who has done everything that I have done? I fear that my mistakes may cause the people around me to abandon me. Even so, being isolated is not even half of what I deserve for my mistakes."

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down, there drama queen." Peter shook his head slightly. "You don't deserve any of what you just said. Hell, a big mad purple dinosaur was your adopted father. If anything, he deserves to be isolated. Me and the other guardians don't care about what you did while working for Thanos. We were all bad people. The important thing is that we saved the galaxy. _Twice!" _He smiled. "Now that's a pretty cool thing to do. I'd say that just about makes up for any bad things you did in the past."

Gamora finally looked up at him, squinting slightly. "This doesn't change your opinion on me?"

Peter scoffed. "_Hell no!_ I knew this when I first met you. All that matters to me is that you're happy. Nothing you did in the past will change that." He stated sincerely, stepping forward and placing a hand on Gamora's shoulder. She smiled up at Peter, which made his heart glow with happiness. He loved making her smile. It was adorable. "Now let's go do something. We got an entire ship to ourselves!"

Gamora's talk with Peter had seemed to quiet her thoughts. A voice in her head seemed to constantly be spewing with negative thoughts.

_You are a monster._

_He doesn't care about you. Who could ever love someone who has done the things you have done?_

_Once they see who you really are they will abandon you. _

These were the thoughts that had been floating around her mind all morning. But now, all she could think about was how they had the entire ship to themselves for a few hours. Was this their first date?

There wasn't much to do on the ship. Nothing to do that would help Gamora avoid speaking about her feelings for Peter. She always got nervous when the subject came up. She _knew _that she loved him. And Mantis had confirmed on Ego's ship that Peter loved her as well, but actually speaking about it made Gamora quite nervous. She always had trouble letting people in. Around Peter, she could barely talk right. She hadn't really felt like this around anyone other than him, so the chances of her saying the wrong thing was quite high.

Now, as the two walked side by side to nowhere in particular, trying to figure out what they could do, Gamora's hart was racing. As Peter listed some activity options, Gamora was barely paying attention to what he was saying.

She absentmindedly took his hands in hers and stopped their walk around the ship. "Why don't we just take a nap?" she suggested. It was a good solution. She would be able to avoid any gushy conversations while still being able to be close to him. "I'm tired, and we still need to catch up on sleep."

Quill nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Alright. Let's go." He smiled a bit before the two walked off towards his room. No, _their _room. They shared a room now.

Gamora was suddenly pulled into another reality, one where they lived together in a small home on Xandar. They weren't murders. They weren't criminals. They hadn't lived through trauma. No, in this world the were perfectly normal. Perfectly happy. They didn't stand out amongst the crowd, but simply blended into the normal, sane lifestyle of a healthy couple.

However, Peter and Gamora were anything but normal. This alternate reality was simply impossible. The two had gone though too much. Gamora felt lucky to have found Peter, lucky to have him by her side after everything. No matter what happened, he was always right there next to her.

She suddenly felt guilty about that morning. She had doubted Quill's determination to stay with her. She had always thought that eventually, Peter would realize what a monster Gamora really was and leave her to die alone. Maybe a few years ago the thought of being alone wouldn't have made Gamora as afraid and anxious as it did now. Now that she had gotten a taste of what it was like to be cared about, she never wanted to leave Peter's side ever again.

Apparently they had made it to their room while Gamora was absorbed in her thoughts, for she was snapped out of her daze after realizing that she was cuddled up in Peter's arms as they lay on their bed. She sighed, resting her head on Peter's chest.

"I'm sorry for doubting you. I was being…"

Before she could continue, Peter cut in. "It's fine. I'm just glad we got it out of the way." He smiled. It was warm and genuine. This was nice.

Just as she began to drift to sleep, the comm. crackled as they received a message from Rocket and the others.

"Uhh, guys?" Rocket's voice was slightly distorted, most likely due to a lack of signal. "You might wanna come down here."

Quill, who had been half asleep, sat up slightly and spoke into the communicator. "Huh? Why? Somethin' up?"

"Let's just say this is gonna be harder than I thought." Rocket replied. "Get down here. Make it snappy."

**A/N: Aight welp, that was chapter 6. I know I haven't edited this fic in a month and I'm really really sorry. I'm like almost out of ideas and I REALLY REALLY NEED ENCOURAGEMENT FROM YOU GUYS. When I see that someone commented/reviewed on this fic I get really happy because it's great to hear your feedback! I have a few ideas on what to write for the next couple of chapters, although they might now get posted until a couple weeks from now. PLEASE LEAVE SUGGESTIONS IN THE COMMENT/ REVIEW SECTION on what you want to see in future chapters. (this will help get me motivated and will keep the fic moving). Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this (shorter) chapter! I'll see you in chapter seven sometime soon-ish!**


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